Thorn in her Side
by That70sWriter
Summary: Steven Hyde has always been a thorn in Jackie Burkhart's side. But what do you find after you pass the thorns? A rose. (In a different universe than all my JxE stories, one in which Hyde and Jackie end up together, travel through the ups and downs of their relationship from beginning to made up end!)


Jackie Beulah Burkhart was anything but a pushover. She was anything but someone to play around with. That was of course until she met Steven Hyde. He was a thorn in her side from the moment the two laid eyes on one another! He was snarky, arrogant, rude to Michael, and worse, he hated her. Now Jackie was used to being hated by other girls. Because they were all just jealous. But when a boy hated her? There had to be something wrong with him. She was beautiful, and she had money. What more could a boy as poor and scruffy as Steven want? Obviously not her though.

It wasn't until Michael, the dumbass, broke her heart that Jackie noticed Steven for the first time. She really noticed him. While Eric was snickering to himself, and Donna was 'not taking sides,' and Fez was trying to cop a feel, Steven was just there. He got angry at Michael, all because he had made Jackie cry. Now that was new territory. No boy had ever cared that much about her, especially seeing as nobody really saw her. But Steven had cared. He had let her cry to him, and then they went shopping.

She had made the mistake of trying to kiss him. He rejected her, and she ended up feeling worse about herself than she already had that stupid day. Jackie had gone back to the Formans, where Eric, Fez, and Michael all stared at her incredulously, wondering why she had spent the day with Hyde.

But she would never admit she had started liking him just a little bit right then and there.

Then of course, they went back to their usual, snarky ways, always picking at each other. Secretly, Jackie liked it. Whenever they picked at each other, his focus was solely on her. Not some other girl, not some whore like whenever she was with Michael. He made her feel something new inside, special.

Michael was taking Pam Macey to the prom. The stupid slut had stolen Michael from her. Jackie of course wasn't going to take that laying down. So she went to her rock. Not that she would ever tell anyone that. She went to Steven, and asked him to go to prom with her. Surprise of all surprises. He said yes. Then he cleaned up for her; she had heard the way his mother treated him. It was no wonder why he turned out the way he did. He turned out even better than Jackie would have thought though.

He had danced the whole night with her. Until Michael and she got back together. Sometimes she had wished she and Michael had just stayed broken up.

Next thing Jackie knew, she and Hyde were close-ish friends. That's what she would call it at least. They had gone on a date in the past, and deep down, Jackie just knew that he had felt something during that kiss. But because of his loyalty to Michael, he never did anything. That had to be it. Because that was why she didn't do anything.

She and Michael were 'engaged.' That was the pathetic name for what they had, or what she thought they had. He ran off; and took Donna with him. That big red slut. So of course, she turned to her rock, she ran to Steven. Their bickering became more playful than cruel, and their glares became more of stares than anything. They were seeing something in one another that was different from anything they had ever seen in their lives. And God it was amazing to even look at him.

They had kissed; passionately. A lot. Their secret summer romance, well, he wouldn't call it that, was the best part of Jackie's whole year. He was still a thorn in her side, but in a very, very good way. The two rarely talked, but Jackie could tell what he was thinking most of the time. That's because she understood him.

Kelso came back with Donna and Eric and they ruined the whole thing.

They looked down upon Jackie and Hyde. Which pissed Jackie off to no end. So Michael could leave her, break her heart, cheat on her, and nobody would bat an eye. But if she fell in lo- dated one of his friends, apparently she was from hell. Because that was fair. She wondered if Steven felt the same way about her. But he probably didn't, because Steven just simply doesn't feel stuff like that. Or so she told herself.

The race was on! Kelso (she refused to think of him as Michael anymore) and Steven were trying to win her heart. Jackie wasn't going to lie, she loved the attention. But then Steven found out about her actually enjoying it and she decided that she needed time to herself.

It may have taken all summer, but by the end Jackie could say for sure that she was in love with Steven.

She chose him, and he left the scary biker chick for her. She had grand delusions of happily ever after. But seeing Michael date another girl after being his first love for over a year, made her go kind of insane. It also pissed off the guy Jackie truly loved. Then he didn't trust her anymore; which led to more complications. Jackie though could tell; he was falling in love with her.

Horribly enough, Steven thought she cheated on him; so what did he do? He cheated in return! Then he had the gall to say he loved her!? She sobbed those next few nights, not because he cheated, but because she loved him enough to forgive him. It would be like Kelso all over again. But she did forgive him, and they were all the happier for it.

He made her think more than anyone in her life ever had. He made her laugh, and he made her so happy she could just live in that dingy basement room with him forever. But as life goes, more complications came. Those complications seemed to be the downfall for their relationship. Jackie couldn't let their relationship die, she was his chick.

She gave him an ultimatum, a freakin' ultimatum. She couldn't believe how stupid she was to do that. Because of her, he ran off and married a stripper! A STRIPPER!

He was once again nothing but a thorn in her side, mocking her and making her cry herself to sleep at night. Those moments when they were friends again, even if it was just because he thought she was in love with Fez now, were the best moments of that whole damned year.

Fez kissed her on New Years. It took them a whole day to build up the anticipation. A whole day. With Steven it had taken her about five seconds before she was ready to pounce on him. But he had married a stripper, he had made his choice. She was miserable without her Puddin' pop. Everyone could tell he was miserable without Jackie too.

The only way Jackie got out of that relationship was by convincing Fenton to seduce Fez, proving him gay, and making him break things off with Jackie. She could finally breathe again without that clingy little foreigner sticking to her back. Better yet, she could look at Steven without feeling guilty. He had been a little cruel, saying she turned him gay. But with a smirk, she had told him that was what she had been meaning to do. She had a few surprises up her sleeve still. Steven had said he was impressed with her.

He made her feel special again.

Damn him.

At Eric and Donna's wedding, she was the Maid of Honor, and Steven was the Best Man. Even though it wasn't required, the two didn't dance with anyone else that night. Maybe we're getting better. Jackie had thought with a smile. He was a thorn in her side again, but once more, in a good way.

Then he asked her on a date. A legitimate date.

Steven was evolving. Jackie fell back in love as quickly as she had the first time. He admitted he never stopped loving her.

****Jackie Beulah Burkhart was not a pushover, until she met Steven Hyde. She was anything but someone to be changed by a man, until she met Steven Hyde. He changed her attitude, her outlook on life, and her outlook on love, and on the anniversary of their first date, Veterans Day, 1983, he changed her last name too. Because after all, once you pass the thorns, you find a rose.


End file.
